Kejriwal stops Modi\\\'s electoral march

Kejriwal Arvind, a former Customs official and a neophyte in politics, has stopped almost unassailable election winning-spree of Narendra Modi. The Bharatya Janata Party (BJP), now embalmed with the Modi image, earned convincing victory in the states like Maharashtra and Haryana. Even in a state like Jammu and Kashmir, it has clinched the second position. All these happened after the last Indian parliamentary elections in May, 2014. All these BJP victories are ascribed to the Modi image.

Now let us understand what the Modi Wave is. Only 31 per cent of the total votes cast was cast in favour of the BJP. Sixty-nine per cent voters who exercised their franchise said 'no' to Modi, so to say BJP. However, it is the trick of the parliamentary democracy which has helped the BJP secure more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats.  Thereafter, the rest was the job of the media.

Media, both print and electronic, started orchestrating the music of Modi Image. Now the question is why?  A careful analysis of the Indian electronic media will show that it encourages religious fundamentalism through soap opera and tele-films etc. Images based on religion and legendary myths gain over scientific temper. The Indian electronic media is fully under the control of the Indian capitalists. A very popular channel NDTV, masquerading as a neutral one, has very cunningly patronised and nourished the BJP in general and the Modi image, in particular. It may further be added that virtually almost all capitalists of India supported and patronised Modi.

So far as the global situation is concerned, India no doubt occupies a very important position because of its size, both geographical and economic. In the Asian political scenario, the US is being constantly nudged by China which has been  a matter of great concern for the former. That is why once the US had denied visa to Modi while the latter was the chief minister of Gujarat and shamelessly involved in communal orgy where thousands of Muslims were brutally killed.  But later the very same US government now gave Modi a red carpet reception for his landslide victory in the election.

Modi is a communal man. But he denies it and ever since he became Prime Minister, he is trying to juxtapose his contradictory activities. The worst damage so far done by Modi to the BJP is his attempt to place his own personal image above the party. Atal Behari  Vajpayee, the former prime minister, after coming to power, was very loud in saying that the BJP  brought an end to the family politics and a real  democratic party government has come to the fore. Modi is reversing that concept as emulated by Vajpayee. His cabinet ministers are behaving like good boys for implementing his avowed Hinduvta policy. Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had announced that Geeta, a Hindu religious book, would be made the National book, a very fanatic, dangerous and divisive proposition. A country does have a national flag, a flower or an animal as a national symbol. But the religious book cannot be a national book of a state which has so many diverse religious people living there. A religious book is sacred to the respective believers. A religious book is not supposed to have a geographical boundary. Immediately after  coming to power, Modi appointed Yella Pragada Sundarshan Rao, a strong admirer of Hindu caste system as  chairman of the Indian Council  of Historical Research (ICHR). The ICHR so long has been chaired by a person of liberal thoughts  having independent and neutral view of the Indian history . Now the Modi government has pushed it towards the Hinduvta domain because it will be able to distort facts and rewrite history according to their choice. Modi has been trying to drive away the people`s attention towards the popular programme and project that surreptitiously implement his programme. But all  these tricks have  not  worked. The massive victory of Aam Admi Party (AAP) is a testimony to the fact that people do not believe Modi.  The city of Delhi itself is a history. It is absolutely cosmopolitan in nature.

Earlier we have mentioned that Kejriwal is a novice, a neophyte in politics. Still in spite of so much trumpeting of Modi image, the people of Delhi swept away the BJP and Congress from the political arena of Delhi. It will be better for the BJP if it receives this clear message instead of interpreting it for its own satisfaction. So far the Congress is concerned, its condition is dismal not only in Delhi but  also  throughout India. This is the price the Congress has been paying for fielding a non-politician as the Prime Minister for long ten years. Dr Manmohan Singh is a gentleman par excellence. He is mythically honest and a very learned economist. He showed his wisdom as the finance minister of the Narashimha Rao cabinet and rescued the country from acute economic crisis obtaining in the country at that time. But he was not a politician and miserably failed to move in the rugged path of India politics. The Congress has reached the cornice of the Indian political roof and who knows whether it will survive or collapse immediately.

The Aam Admi Party`s victory is not merely a landslide one but a record victory. We do not think that any Indian state witnessed any such victory ever since independence. Now the AAP will have to accept the victory with modesty and humility in its approach. They should remember that all the voters  are not their  ardent  supporters; a large number are protest voters.  They were frustrated with the Congress and distrusted the BJP.  

The AAP in its earlier stint handled the affair in a sloppy manner. Its avowed fight is against corruption, misrule and VIP syndrome. These are undoubtedly most appropriate issues. Financial corruption has become a hydra-headed monster in India. So far law and order is concerned, women are raped in the running buses. No further example is needed to be cited for showing grim law and order situation of Delhi. In fighting these odds and achieving goals, the AAP will have to be pragmatic and practical. There should not be any utopian approach to the problems. Seeking utopian concepts borders on lunacy. Politics is a profession; there is no scope for amateurism. It is not necessary that to be a professional politician one has to become corrupt. Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Moulana Azad and Jay Prakash Narayan are a few to be mentioned as ideal politicians.  The AAP has clearly shown that it believes in secular politics. There is every chance that Kejriwal may be a victim of sycophancy and ultimately become a dictator. The AAP must have control over Kejriwal and not the reverse.

Email: rezaulparvaz@live.com